That night, Lin Ye held to his plan of staying awake the entire night.
Mai Sakurajima stayed up with him.
She wanted to show her resolve this way — at the very least, she couldn't let him pull an all-nighter alone.
But in the end, she couldn't hold out against the tide of drowsiness. After Lin Ye's repeated coaxing, she finally closed her eyes and drifted off.
Watching the clean lines of her sleeping profile, a small, unbidden smile found its way onto his face.
"Sleep well,"
"Tomorrow, it'll definitely work."
...
Everything that needed to be done had been done. He'd tried his best to see it through properly.
What remained now was just that small sliver of luck.
Whether luck was on their side — that was the only question left.
John watched them, then let out one enormous yawn. What time even was it? Hurry up and sleep already!
He closed his eyes and went right to sleep.
Only Lin Ye kept going, alone — though with coffee, black tea, and mint candies, plus the effect of his Superpower: Devour, the drowsiness at least came and went in waves rather than crashing over him all at once.
The Superpower: Devour, when applied to certain foods, could slow down mental fatigue and dispel both exhaustion and drowsiness.
That effect was doing a lot of heavy lifting for him right now.
Otherwise, staying awake for more than forty-eight consecutive hours straight would have been an almost impossible task.
Drowsiness, after all, was genuinely brutal to fight.
The apartment held nothing but the steady rhythm of breathing.
Lin Ye sat quietly by himself, and eventually, finding it unbearably dull, he left the apartment again — though this time without John for company.
Last night's experience was still fresh in the dog's memory. He had absolutely no desire to repeat it.
A dog's Stamina had its limits too. Tonight, John needed to rest and recharge.
Lin Ye walked alone through the nighttime streets of Chiba.
At this hour, the streets had gone completely still — not a single soul in sight. If anything, it was his presence that added a lone flicker of life to the empty road, though even that felt faintly off.
The appearance of any person at this hour would only invite unease and suspicion.
Saturday's newly risen sun swept in, scattering the cool chill of the night.
Light flooded the apartment.
Mai Sakurajima woke once more.
This time, she found Lin Ye absent again — but unlike the previous morning, no wave of worry came. She trusted that he'd be fine.
"Good morning, John!"
The moment he heard his name, John's eyes snapped open. His big tail swung in wide, enthusiastic arcs, and he trotted right over.
Mai Sakurajima gave John's head another pat, which only made him happier.
About ten minutes later, Lin Ye came back with breakfast.
"Senpai, after we eat, we're heading to Tokyo."
"Mm."
Mai Sakurajima didn't even ask why. She simply agreed.
She already knew she didn't need to ask — she just had to follow wherever Lin Ye's plan led.
Today was the day that mattered most.
If things still couldn't go back to normal by today… she would probably lose hope in the future entirely.
Lin Ye had managed two days. But what about three? Five? Half a month?
Her gaze drifted, without thinking, to the young man beside her. Right now, Lin Ye looked sharp and alert, his eyes bright — but look closely, and a faint trace of weariness still bled through. That particular exhaustion that came from going without sleep for too long.
For her sake, Lin Ye had gone two days without sleeping.
She had genuinely considered it yesterday — drugging his black tea to knock him out and let him sleep properly. Compared to her, Lin Ye was the one who needed to take care of himself. She was only one person, but Lin Ye had so many people around him who cared for him, who looked after him. He should be thinking about them too, looking after his own wellbeing for their sake.
And yet here he was, throwing that aside for her.
How was she ever going to repay this debt?
Mai Sakurajima thought of Lin Ye's particular interests.
The bunny girl stockings outfit. She'd probably have to wear it for three days straight, maybe five, just to square the account.
Breakfast was finished quickly.
Lin Ye also poured out John's kibble and set down three large chicken drumsticks.
"John, here's your food and water for the next couple of days. We should be back by tomorrow at the latest. That means you'll be holding down the fort here for two days."
Lin Ye gave John's head a pat.
John had his nose buried in his food, occasionally letting out a series of gruff sounds that clearly meant: got it, no need to say more.
He even threw in a noise that suggested he found Lin Ye's speech entirely unnecessary — which made Mai Sakurajima actually laugh out loud.
"Alright, stop worrying. John can handle himself. If you're really not comfortable, we could drop him off with a friend — ask someone to look after him for two days."
Mai Sakurajima offered a suggestion, already thinking of who might fit. "Like Yukinoshita — she's not great at taking care of things, but she did specifically come to send you home yesterday, and she even wanted to look after you herself."
"Senpai, you know Yukino hates dogs."
Hates was generous — she was actually afraid of them. But for the sake of the girl's pride, Lin Ye had gone with 'hates.'
"Hates? I don't think that's quite right. She's scared of them."
Mai Sakurajima said it plainly.
She'd seen exactly how Yukino tensed up and kept her distance around John. If she still couldn't read that, there'd be something seriously wrong with her powers of observation.
"If you said that to her face, Senpai, she'd never admit it."
"Oh?"
So — a girl who's too stubborn to admit her own weaknesses?
"Would she actually dare to touch John?"
"She wouldn't dare, but she'd work up the nerve to do it anyway. That's exactly the kind of girl she is — she doesn't back down."
Lin Ye turned Yukino Yukinoshita's personality over in his mind.
She wasn't a perfect girl. There were plenty of things she wasn't good at. But even with those things — the moment someone challenged her on them, she'd push back immediately and make her position clear.
If she ever just quietly accepted something like that, he'd genuinely start to wonder if something had happened to her. A personality shift that drastic would even make him suspect she'd been replaced by a body double.
"You know her very well."
That faint look of nostalgia and quiet feeling in his expression wasn't something that could be faked.
Mai Sakurajima recognized the genuine warmth Lin Ye carried for Yukino Yukinoshita.
The quasi-fiancés arrangement wasn't something to be taken lightly.
"Yeah."
Lin Ye made a small sound of agreement. "But I actually know Senpai fairly well too. And I want to know you even better."
That direct, unwavering gaze made Mai Sakurajima's whole body give a little start. Surprise broke across her face. She hadn't expected that — not at all — that Lin Ye, who'd just been talking about his quasi-fiancée in the very same breath, would turn around and deliver something like that.
A shock, and a pleasant one.
To her, it sounded almost exactly like a confession.
It was true she'd never dated anyone, never shared a moment of romantic tension with any guy — but as a major star, as an actress who'd appeared in countless romantic comedy dramas and films, she'd picked up quite a bit of relevant knowledge along the way.
What Lin Ye had just said was one thin line away from a confession — and there would be nothing wrong with taking it as one, either.
"A joke is a joke — know when to stop. You have a quasi-fiancée, remember."
Mai Sakurajima grew serious.
"Does Senpai not remember what happened yesterday morning?"
Of course she remembered.
"That was a joke. Don't misread it."
"I've already misread it. Now what?"
Facing Lin Ye's piercing gaze, Mai Sakurajima pressed her lips together. Her red lips moved slowly as she finally replied, "There's nothing to be done. You're imagining things. You're a man with a quasi-fiancée — you're not allowed to be fickle. I have no interest whatsoever in fickle men."
Unless…
But that unless, she left unspoken.
She was afraid of giving him hope.
Yesterday morning's impulse had been part genuine rashness, part a quiet hope that it might leave a stronger impression on him — that he wouldn't forget her.
But today, the situation had changed.
If Lin Ye's plan failed today, he was destined to forget her. Knowing that — what was the point of adding yet another layer of ambiguity between them?
Better to leave it here. Let her go on living her life alone. She could accept watching Lin Ye move forward with other girls.
Her heart — it could weather that. It wouldn't shatter her.
"Senpai's really too much. I'm not fickle. I'm completely devoted."
"Devoted?"
"Of course."
Lin Ye sat up straight. "I'm devoted to a whole group of girls at once — doesn't that count as devotion?"
"Are you trying to make me die laughing?"
Mai Sakurajima let out an involuntary laugh.
"Senpai's alive and well. No dying happening here."
"Hmph."
She started getting her things together, preparing to head out.
Even though no one else could see her, she still took the time to do her hair and make herself look neat and fresh.
"Senpai, why not put on some light makeup? Make yourself even prettier?"
"What kind of man says that to a girl? Making that kind of request?"
"I'm thinking of you."
Lin Ye was thinking ahead to the moment his plan succeeded — when Mai Sakurajima would be visible to the world again. If she wasn't looking her best when she appeared back in the public eye, it might end up as news, leaving her fans stunned and disappointed.
"You're obviously thinking of yourself."
"Then consider it for my sake! So, Senpai — will you?"
"..."
When you put it that way, I don't really have any grounds left to refuse.
"There are no makeup supplies here."
"I bought some."
Lin Ye went to the cabinet and produced a full, comprehensive makeup kit.
Mai Sakurajima looked at it — an impressive spread, every item accounted for. A smile pulled at her lips without her meaning it to. "You came well prepared. Which girl put this together for you?"
There was simply no way Lin Ye had assembled this himself. What did the average guy know about makeup?
"Yukinoshita."
"Student Lin, you really think I'll believe that?"
Mai Sakurajima wasn't buying the idea that Yukino Yukinoshita had sent this. That girl had natural, effortless beauty — not a trace of makeup on her at any time — she clearly had no use for cosmetics, so why on earth would she be buying them for Lin Ye?
The other two, though — Isshiki Iroha or Yui Yuigahama — that she could believe.
"Haruno Yukinoshita. Yukino's older sister."
Mai Sakurajima gave Lin Ye a flat look and took the kit to the bathroom.
Only the bathroom had a mirror.
Sometimes, Mai Sakurajima found it genuinely strange — other people couldn't see her, and yet the mirror reflected her perfectly. What kind of existence was she, exactly, at this point?
With practiced ease, she arranged each item in order, then began — foundation, pressed powder, eyeliner, each tool moving fluidly and precisely through her hands. Every motion was natural and polished.
Worthy of a major star. Her makeup skills were genuinely impressive.
Lin Ye suspected she had received formal training. Major stars might have dedicated makeup artists, but they would still have mastered a considerable level of skill on their own.
Twenty minutes later, Mai Sakurajima finished. She arranged the products neatly, stood up, rinsed her hands. "Done."
In that moment, Mai Sakurajima with makeup on was breathtaking. The carefully applied look carried a captivating charm that would've drawn every eye in a room.
"What a shame,"
Those two words made Mai Sakurajima's heart catch.
Had she done something wrong somewhere?
"Only I get to appreciate this beauty of Senpai's."
Sweet talk.
That was the first thought that surfaced in Mai Sakurajima's mind — but the corners of her mouth curved upward anyway.
This guy — if only he didn't have so many entanglements with other girls, things would be so much simpler.
"Let's go!"
"Mm."
The two did their final checks and left the apartment.
John watched them go. Once the door clicked shut, he nudged the ball around the floor, passing the time in the quiet of the empty apartment.
Lin Ye and Mai Sakurajima headed downstairs.
A black sedan was parked outside the building.
Mai Sakurajima noticed it but didn't think much of it — until Lin Ye led her right up to it and opened the rear door.
"You booked a car in advance?"
Completely unexpected. She hadn't seen that coming at all.
"A car from the Yukinoshita household. They're driving us to Tokyo today."
They're willing to send a car for you — the relationship you have with them is something else.
Does the Yukinoshita family know you're going to Tokyo with another girl? And if they did, would they still be sending a car?
Several thoughts crossed Mai Sakurajima's mind as she climbed in.
A luxury car.
She'd ridden in plenty of them — at fan meet events, premieres, when the agency arranged high-end pickups for appearances.
And here was Lin Ye with a luxury car at his disposal. Which made a certain joke he'd once made float back to her mind — buying her for a billion US dollars.
He couldn't actually do that… could he?
"Yamada-san, sorry for the trouble."
Once Lin Ye was inside, he addressed the familiar driver.
"Mr. Lin, please don't mention it."
Yamada responded with polite deference.
He was puzzled by Lin Ye's earlier gesture — the way Lin Ye had held the door open and waited, as if letting someone else in first. But the back seat only had Lin Ye. No one else.
Then again, given the instructions from the head of the household, and the rumors he'd heard, he'd come to suspect there might be a presence in the back seat — one he simply couldn't see.
So. The only thing to do was keep his eyes on the road, treat everything unusual he witnessed as if he hadn't witnessed it at all, and say nothing, see nothing, and do his job.
The car pulled smoothly away.
Lin Ye and Mai Sakurajima settled into the back seat as the view outside the windows shifted.
"Can you tell me the plan now?"
As she asked, Mai Sakurajima pointed at Lin Ye's phone, signaling him to type and communicate with her that way. There was still a third party present — Lin Ye speaking aloud to no one would look extremely strange.
"Senpai just has to wait and see how it unfolds."
Lin Ye spoke aloud.
That made Mai Sakurajima stir slightly. "Aren't you worried about the driver?"
"Yamada-san knows better than to say anything."
Yamada, at the wheel, had just become fully certain: there was absolutely some unknown presence in that back seat.
A ghost? A monster?
In an instant, a chill ran down his back. He immediately adjusted the rearview mirror, signaling his stance — making clear he had no intention of looking at anything he wasn't supposed to see.
"You scared him half to death."
"Yamada-san has a good temperament. Senpai doesn't need to worry."
All Yamada, behind the wheel, wanted to say was that his temperament was decidedly not good — and if he had any choice, he really would have preferred not to take this particular fare.
An invisible passenger. What was he supposed to do with that.
Though — 'Senpai' was at least reassuring. A person was still better than a monster, even if she'd become a ghost. Relatively speaking.
Whether he should mention any of this to Miss Haruno — he quietly turned that question over in his mind.
The car moved at a smooth, steady pace.
Lin Ye and Mai Sakurajima chatted now and then, but she spent most of the ride with her attention drawn to the scenery outside the window.
Then, suddenly —
She felt a fresh burst of cool mint in her mouth.
Mai Sakurajima glanced over at Lin Ye immediately, and sure enough — a freshly unwrapped mint candy in his hand.
She realized he was fighting off drowsiness again.
In that moment, she very much wanted to suggest he sleep — to offer him her shoulder, or even her lap. But she also knew that now was absolutely not the time to say any of that.
At least wait until after the plan had been carried out. Whether it succeeded or failed, she was going to make sure Lin Ye got a proper, uninterrupted rest afterward.
The car finally reached Tokyo and slowed to a stop in front of a hotel.
"Mr. Lin, Miss Haruno is waiting for you inside — Room 808."
"Got it, Yamada-san."
Lin Ye and Mai Sakurajima stepped out one after the other, walked into the hotel, and took the elevator up.
The elevator climbed. They arrived at the eighth floor quickly.
Room 808.
Ding-dong. The doorbell rang.
The door swung open.
"My dear Lin-kun, I've finally seen you again — I've missed you so much."
With that, Haruno Yukinoshita made as if to throw herself at him — but Lin Ye sidestepped cleanly.
"Please behave yourself, Miss Haruno."
"Oh come on, what's our relationship? Why should I have to behave myself?"
Haruno touched her own cheek, a flush of coy amusement rising on her face. "Every inch of me, inside and out, top to bottom — has there been anywhere Lin-kun hasn't explored?"
Mai Sakurajima's eyes went wide as she snapped her gaze to Lin Ye.
Every inch, inside and out, top to bottom — that had to mean they'd already gone there, right?
This guy — he was in love with Yukino Yukinoshita, and yet he'd gotten tangled up with the older sister too. And judging by the easy, familiar way they talked, it had apparently been going on for a while.
If Yukino Yukinoshita ever found out about these two — how would she possibly face either of them?
A sudden swell of curiosity rose in Mai Sakurajima's chest.
Inexplicably, she found herself looking forward to finding out.
"Miss Haruno, if you keep saying things like that — things that invite misunderstanding — I'll have to seriously reconsider the nature of our relationship."
"My, why so serious? There's no one else here."
Haruno's eyes shifted — landing directly on the spot behind Lin Ye.
Which happened to be exactly where Mai Sakurajima was standing.
Faced with that sharp, searching gaze from the mature woman with the sleek black bob, Mai Sakurajima's pulse spiked against her will. She almost believed Haruno Yukinoshita could actually see her.
"The girl you told me about — she's here with you right now?"
To get Haruno's help, Lin Ye had given her a certain amount of information — kept vague enough, all references reduced to stand-ins and pronouns, so that the degree to which the Puberty Syndrome erased Haruno's related memories would remain low.
"Yes."
"Oh! And she really is completely invisible — can't see her, can't touch her!"
As she said it, Haruno reached out to feel around — but found nothing but empty air. She hadn't gotten a single touch.
Naturally, Mai Sakurajima hadn't stood there waiting to be prodded. The spot Haruno had aimed for happened to be a rather sensitive area — even coming from another woman, that wasn't something she was going to allow.
"Honestly, I had my doubts about whether Lin-kun was telling me the truth. But since you're insisting, I'll take it at face value — because I'm certain Lin-kun would never lie to me, his closest little confidante."
She still managed to weave in a note of intimate suggestion.
"Come on in first. The makeup artist team will be arriving shortly."
"Makeup artist?"
Mai Sakurajima blinked in confusion, then looked at Lin Ye for an explanation.
"Yes — I need to have makeup done on me too."
That only deepened her confusion.
"Why do you need makeup?"
The way Lin Ye looked right now was perfectly fine. She couldn't see anything that needed improving — change of outfit and shoes at most, but beyond that, nothing that warranted it.
"You'll understand once everything's in motion, Senpai."
He was keeping her in suspense again.
Mai Sakurajima's curiosity was now thoroughly hooked.
This Student Lin was seriously not cute. Keeping her on tenterhooks like this — it was going to be uncomfortable, and uncomfortable meant unhappy, and if she got unhappy, then she would…
She realized she didn't actually have any leverage whatsoever.
Haruno Yukinoshita, standing to the side, had watched the entire thing unfold — Lin Ye's apparent one-sided 'conversation with himself.'
She didn't think Lin Ye had lost his mind or was having hallucinations, talking to a person who didn't exist.
Because if Lin Ye was the one with the problem here, then the one with the real problem was her — Haruno Yukinoshita herself — along with countless others in the same boat.
Lin Ye wanted to fight back against the collective shared consciousness of the entire world and wrestle this girl's presence back into existence. The difficulty of that…was immense.
Haruno felt the odds of success were low.
And yet, there was something strangely romantic about it — enough that even she, who had long since lost track of when she'd discarded any trace of a girlish heart, felt something stir.
Against the whole world, just to find you again.
"If Yukino knew about this, she'd be heartbroken."
Her own man, going up against and conquering the entire world — for the sake of another girl.
That was something anyone would struggle to accept.
"Lin-kun, you really do have quite the talent for collecting admirers."
Haruno mused once more.
Was it because of the special ability he'd acquired? Had that turned him into something like the protagonist of an anime — magnetic, drawing the gaze and affection of every girl around him without even trying?
There was no other explanation.
Twenty minutes later, the makeup team arrived.
It was a full crew.
Their job was to give Lin Ye a complete style overhaul — a look that bore no resemblance to his everyday appearance.
Lin Ye's reason for this was simple: once he was on camera and exposed to media coverage, it would affect his day-to-day life, and so he'd chosen this approach as a precaution.
He had considered having someone else carry out this part of the plan, but something about that never sat right with him.
This was something he needed to do himself.
This plan had to be built on sincerity — on genuine, wholehearted intent. That was his conviction.
Otherwise, he could have hired a decent actor to go through the motions, and the audience might have been convinced — but if Mai Sakurajima herself didn't believe it, then the effect would be severely diminished, if it worked at all.
So to make absolutely sure nothing was left to chance, he was the one stepping up to see it through.
His feelings for Mai Sakurajima were real. That included both the love he'd carried over from his past life for the female lead of that story, and the genuine emotion that had grown from knowing the real girl and spending time with her in this one.
Two lives' worth of feeling, woven together. That was what he felt for Mai Sakurajima.
From deciding on the styling direction and outfit coordination to finalizing the makeup — the entire process took several hours before it was finally done.
"All finished."
The makeup team wrapped up and filed out of the room.
Lin Ye rose and walked over to the full-length mirror nearby, looking at his own reflection.
If he didn't already know that was him in the mirror, he genuinely might not have recognized himself.
"Well, well — where did this handsome fellow come from? Big sis likes what she sees."
With that, Haruno shamelessly wrapped her arms around Lin Ye from behind.
Those generous curves pressed right into his back, and Lin Ye felt the full impact immediately — a sensation that shot straight to his head and jangled every nerve.
"Miss Haruno, please behave yourself."
"In front of Lin-kun, I'm incapable of behaving myself."
She hugged tighter.
Smack.
This time Lin Ye didn't care that Mai Sakurajima was there. He raised a hand and delivered a sharp, firm slap to Haruno's backside.
In the past he'd only done this in genuinely private moments, giving Haruno the dignity of keeping it away from others. But this time, he needed to remind her that there were limits.
"Mmn."
A soft, coquettish sound escaped — genuinely alluring.
Mai Sakurajima, hearing it, felt like she was listening to a very particular kind of sound.
"More. Harder."
"Don't make me actually suspend you upside down."
"Go ahead!"
"I'll call Miyuki."
"..."
Haruno let go immediately and smoothed out her clothes.
"There's really no need to bother Miss Miyuki — she's so busy, no reason for her to come all the way out here, haha…"
She let out a yawning laugh, making a strategic retreat.
It wasn't so much genuine fear of Miyuki Kuroshima that made her step down — she was mainly being sensible. She knew that if she pushed any further, Lin Ye's patience would run dry.
Whatever the cause — Haruno Yukinoshita knew that moderation was always the better choice.
Although, compared to before, she'd been inching her boundaries steadily closer…
If she kept at it, she wondered if she might actually manage to break through one of these days.
"Quite the lucky streak with women," Mai Sakurajima remarked.
"His little sister is his quasi-fiancée, and the big sister is actively throwing herself at him. Student Lin, you're something else."
Her honest impression of Haruno Yukinoshita wasn't particularly favorable. Women like Haruno — all warmth and vivacity on the surface, every thought a calculated move underneath — were exactly the kind of women Mai Sakurajima least wanted to deal with.
And yet this very kind of woman was willing to chase after Lin Ye of her own accord. She'd practically hand herself to him on a platter if he so much as said the word.
What Mai Sakurajima felt was nothing but concern and wariness.
"Take my advice — keep your distance from her. If you let yourself get pulled into her world, you won't find your way back out."
She gave Lin Ye the warning.
"Thank you for the advice, Senpai. Understood."
Lin Ye accepted it with sincerity.
Haruno, overhearing, seemed to catch on to something. Her smile didn't shift as she turned her gaze toward the space Lin Ye was looking at.
"My mysterious Miss, talking about me behind my back while I'm right here is a little unkind, don't you think?"
Her smile held steady, her eyes fixed as though they could actually track where Mai Sakurajima was standing. "My relationship with Lin-kun is very, very close — a few words from you aren't going to put a crack in that. If anything, you might just be affecting where you stand in Lin-kun's eyes."
Mai Sakurajima glanced at Lin Ye.
"My relationship with Lin-kun is built on the most intimate foundation of all, you know."
A physical relationship?
Not exactly shocking, when she thought about it. A beautiful woman throwing herself at someone relentlessly — the average man could hold out three, maybe four times before his resistance gave out.
Lin Ye had given in eventually — Mai Sakurajima could understand that. Just a touch regrettable.
She could only wonder what Yukino Yukinoshita's reaction would be when she found out — her own older sister had gotten involved with her quasi-fiancé. What a tangled web.
"Everything Lin-kun has asked me to do today — it's for you, isn't it, mysterious Miss? I'm putting in real effort here. It's a little ungracious of you to speak badly of me."
That stirred a small pang of guilt in Mai Sakurajima.
"Please tell her I'm sorry on my behalf." She turned to Lin Ye. "And also relay what I said to her just now, my warning."
"Alright."
Lin Ye relayed it faithfully, word for word.
Haruno's look of surprise gave way to a radiant smile. "No wonder Lin-kun is willing to do all of this for you. What a genuinely interesting girl. I really am starting to want to meet you — I'm looking forward to it."
What kind of person was this girl?
At the very least, not unattractive, surely.
As long as she's a little less striking than Yukino — because if she isn't, Yukino's going to have one more competitor to worry about.
The conversation reached a natural pause.
Lin Ye made his final preparations.
Haruno began making calls, putting everything in motion.
The time was eight o'clock in the evening — matching exactly the peak trending window from before.
A few more hours to rest.
Lin Ye drank coffee to stay sharp.
The clarity his Superpower: Devour provided was genuinely holding up, but his body seemed to be building resistance — the fatigue was setting in faster now. The same dose wasn't lasting nearly as long.
A few more hours. Just hold on a few more hours.
Once this was done, he could finally sleep properly.
Buzz buzz buzz…
Lin Ye got a call from Ryou Fujibayashi.
"Lin-kun, don't forget about dinner tomorrow."
It was only now that Lin Ye remembered — he had that visit to the Fujibayashi home the following day.
"Right, I haven't forgotten. I'll be there on time."
"Good."
Ryou Fujibayashi didn't hang up right away, and the two chatted for a few minutes — but she picked up on the tiredness bleeding into his voice and brought the call to a close herself.
Mai Sakurajima had also begun to piece together a rough sense of what Lin Ye's plan involved.
But would it work?
She had her doubts.
Even so — at this point, trusting Lin Ye was the only option she had left.
So that was what she would do. Trust Lin Ye, all the way to the end. That was all she could do now.
"Let's move out."
The time was right.
The group set off.
The people Haruno had arranged were already in position.
Once Lin Ye arrived and the signal was given, everything would propagate across the internet at maximum speed — seizing the trending headlines, pulling in attention and traffic from every corner.
Bringing that girl's name back into the minds of everyone who had forgotten it.
Outside Akihabara.
Several cars arrived and came to a gradual stop.
Under the night sky, streetlamps cast their glow along the road.
Lin Ye, Haruno, and Mai Sakurajima walked together toward the designated location.
Mai Sakurajima looked at the ramen shop before her.
This was where she and Lin Ye had first met. This was the place Lin Ye had called her to when he'd reached out to see her.
And now, this place would become the stage where she stepped back into the sight of the world.
"Lin-kun."
Haruno gave Lin Ye a nod.
Lin Ye made a gesture.
The people stationed at every point completed their final preparations.
The plan was a go.
...
...
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